Lynx
Lynx 'Bloodline Curse: the Linked-In Curse' In addition to the Tenebrous Curse all Mekhet suffer, the Lynx are invariably tied to the networks they establish. In particular, upon joining this bloodline the Lynx will gain the persistent addicted condition towards the network which they have chosen. This may manifest as a literal psychological addiction to social networking, a given clique of friends, or a news system. Some find themselves addicted to the internet, periodicals, or the presence of certain organization members. Whatever their chosen network is, they are intimately tied to it and will react harshly, often violently if one attempts to separate them from it. In addition to the network being addictive in its presence, the Lynx will also suffer a frenzy provocation at a -2 penalty if someone one attempts to separate them from their network under any circumstances. In such a frenzy, the Beast's goal is always to protect its connection to the network. Finally, a Lynx's sensitivity to their network renders her more vulnerable to the ties of blood. An individual who gains bonus dice from Blood Sympathy to use disciplines on a Lynx receives an extra +1. 'Bloodline Gift: Scan' The most fundamental power of the Lynx is to scan a single node in a network and gain insight into the links it possesses with other nodes. For example, when a Lynx scans a mortal woman, she might learn that she is currently infatuated with a blond man, and experiencing what feels like a bad break-up with a co-worker. If the Lynx later encounters the 'blond man' and scans him, she instinctively understands that she has found the man the mortal woman is infatuated with, and may also learn that he does not love her back. :Cost: 'None :'Dice Pool: 'Wits + Investigation - subject's Composure. :'Requirement: '''The Lynx may use this power only once per scene, and must have observed or interacted with the subject for several minutes first. '''Roll Results :Dramatic Failure: 'The character receives misleading information. :'Failure: 'The character fails to observe anything useful. :'Success: 'The character uncovers one piece of information about the subject's relationships per success. This information may be interpreted in terms of behavioral ("See the way he's eyeballing that dress? He was just thinking about buying it for someone. Someone with red hair") or attitudinal cues ("He's pissed. Look at him. He hates his boss."), but this is simply the mind rationalizing what the blood reveals. Alternately, the character can learn things about the subject's Influence, up to a value equal to the successes scored. For example, if a Lynx scores three successes on her activation roll, she can learn that her subject has Influence in Health and Industry, and possesses a Herd. It does not, however, tell her whether the subject's Health Influence is in the form of Contacts, Allies, Status, or a Retainer, though if she learns on her three successes that the subject has Health Influence and a Retainer - and nothing else - she can certainly extrapolate that the Retainer has Health Status. :'Exceptional success: 'Extra successes are their own reward. : 'Disciplines Auspex, Celerity, Dominate, Obfuscate 'Bloodline Devotions: Web' The devotions that the Lynx practice are simply known as 'Web'. For what reason is unsure. Some believe that this is termed after the Internet or 'World Wide Web'. Others believe that it predates the information age, rather referring to web graphs that one might commonly associate with a traveler or stereotypical conspiracy theorist. Regardless, the devotions of Web manipulate the relationships between individuals with a surprising, even frightening, ease. ''Edit'' (Dominate ••) With this power, a Lynx can edit the chains of information that flow out of a scanned node. :Cost: '1 Willpower :'Dice Pool: 'Manipulation + Persuasion + Dominate vs Resolve + Blood Potency :'Action: '''Instant '''Roll Results :Dramatic Failure: 'The character cannot attune herself to the network the subject is part of, and for the rest of the night any further attempt to target that subject with her powers of the blood receive a -2 penalty. :'Failure: 'The character cannot make her changes stick, and the Willpower spent to activate this power is wasted. :'Success: 'The Lynx successfully alters the relationship between the subject node and another, adjacent node in the system. In game terms, the Lynx may color that relationship with any Virtue or Vice; the behavior of the subject changes ''only in regard to one other creature to reflect the values of that Virtue or Vice. For example, if the Lynx alters the Seneschal's attitude toward the Prince to align with Greed, the Seneschal may begin to scheme against his lord, or toady for more power. If the Lynx then successfully alters the Prince's attitude to be informed by Charity, the Prince might take pity on his servant and grant him more power. Any change persists only for the remainder of the scene, though the consequences may be significantly longer-lasting. :'''Exceptional Success: '''As a success, except that the changes to the subject node last for the rest of the night. '''Suggested Modifiers *-2 if the user has just encountered the subject for the first time. *-3 if the user has never encountered the node she is trying to alter in the subject's perception. *-4 if the Virtue or Vice to be conveyed is strongly out of line with the subject's default relationship. *-1 to -5 if the character's own hatred or bias interferes with his ability to subtly project his influence onto the target. This Devotion costs 3 Experiences (15 Beats) to learn. ''Extrapolate'' (Celerity ••) :Cost: '1 Willpower :'Dice Pool: 'None Manipulating the travel-based aspects of celerity, distance and time as one might through Blood Sympathy, the Lynx is able to speed on her will to other locations on the node. So long as the Lynx is both linked by Blood Sympathy to an individual, either naturally, through 'Link', or from another cause, and within the natural range of that sympathy, she is able to use her powers of the blood on that individual as if she were within line of sight. This devotion costs 3 Experiences (15 Beats) to learn. ''Insert/Delete (Obfuscate ••) Switching around one's place in a more abstract network is easily within the power of a proficient web manipulator. Particularly, one may be thought to be part of a network or more influential than usual. Likewise, one may be found harder to interact with or even harder to track down by people who the Lynx normally interacts with on a usual basis. Effectively, they may control their 'Presence' within relationships: how potent they are and how elusive they are, both in a social context. :'Cost: '''1 Vitae per scene :'Dice Pool: '''Manipulation + Socialize + Obfuscate vs Composure + Blood Potency '''Roll Results :Dramatic Failure: 'The Lynx subtracts her dots in Obfuscate from any attempts to interact with the network with which she intended to increase her presence, or grants them as a bonus to rolls that interact with her made by members of the group from which she intended to withdraw. :'Failure: 'The Lynx remains unaffected by the usage of this Devotion. :'Success: 'The Lynx adds her successes to any interactions with the group into which she has inserted herself, or applies her successes as a penalty to actions that interact with her made by members of the group from which she has removed herself. :'Exceptional Success: 'The Lynx is also considered to be an intuitively, but not rationally recognizable individual if inserting, and an oddly forgettable individual if deleting. The subjects of this Devotion will not only have trouble with interactions, or find the Lynx more persuasive, they will also attempt to subtly rationalize it. This Devotion costs 2 Experiences (10 Beats) to learn. ''Link (Auspex ••) The extraordinary perceptions allowed by Auspex are harnessed by the Lynx to counterfeit that uniquely vampiric means of perception and communication: Blood Sympathy. This adds a new individual to the network comprised by Blood Sympathy, with all the relevant implications for both Lynx, subject, and other members of the Lynx's existing network. This power may be turned on any subject that has blood, whether vampire, ghoul, mortal, or other. :'Cost: '''1 Vitae :'Dice Pool: 'Presence + Persuasion + Auspex vs Composure + Blood Potency (if resisted) :'Action: '''Instant, if the subject is willing; extended and contested if they are not. Requires a number of successes equal to the subject's Willpower, with each roll representing about one minute. '''Roll Results :Dramatic Failure: The new member is not added to the Link, and the Lynx is ejected from it. This mandates a frenzy check, as per her Bloodline Curse. :Failure: 'The link does not connect, though the Lynx is well aware of this. :'Success: 'The link connects for a number of nights equal to the Lynx's Resolve, considered to be thrice removed if it did not already exist. If it did already exist, then it is considered to be one step closer. Subjects who want out after the first night can spend one Willpower point to attempt a Resolve + Composure roll to break their link to the blood network, penalized by the Lynx's Blood Potency. :'Exceptional Success: '''The link is considered to be one step closer if not already present, and two steps closer if it is. If this would raise it past direct relation, the lynx gains 9-again to invoke blood sympathy for the duration of the artificial boost. '''Suggested Modifiers *+2 when turned on a character with whom the user already shares a blood tie. *-1 for each subject added to the Link beyond the first. *-2 if the subject is not a vampire. *-3 if the subject is not known to all current members of the Link. This Devotion costs 2 Experiences (10 Beats) to learn. 'Source' The Invictus, pp 165-7 and 207-12. This Blood & Smoke version is by Myka Dunn, revised for use on RfK by Is_A_Becca. Category:Bloodlines Category:Translations Category:Mekhet Category:Devotions